West Bengal: TMC panchayat Pradhan threatens Congress ally ISF workers to join party or face consequences

TMC Panchayat Pradhan, image via Twitter/Anupam Mishra

Following the victory of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the West Bengal polls, the rival political workers have been targeted with violence, rapes, and social and economic boycott. On Tuesday (June 15), Aaj Tak Deputy Director Anupam Mishra shared a video, wherein a Trinamool Congress panchayat Pradhan was seen threatening Indian Secular Front (ISF) workers in Bhangar in South 24 Parganas of West Bengal.

According to Mishra, the TMC leader had threatened to not allow ISF workers in 100 days work, if they did not defect to Mamata Banerjee-run- party. “I am telling this very clearly, with a cool-head, and repeating the same again and again. Work in co-operation with our party workers. Discuss issues with them and work. Whatever you have done until now is a matter of the past. Forget it and join us. We won’t mind taking you back. Unlike other places, we did not commit atrocities on you here. We are only telling you to come and join us and live in peace in the area,” the Panchayat Pradhan was heard as saying.

https://twitter.com/Anupammishra777/status/1404678922902462469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

In the said video, TMC leader and former MLA Arabul Islam was seen sitting right next to the panchayat Pradhan. It must be mentioned that Islam’s supporters had earlier vandalised and burnt down the TMC party office after he was denied a ticket from Bhangar in the 2021 West Bengal Vidhan Sabha polls. It must also be mentioned that ISF, led by Abbas Siddiqui, had managed to win its maiden seat from the Bhangar Vidhan Sabha constituency. Md Nawsad Siddique from Rashtriya Secular Majlis Party, an ally of ISF, had won the Bhangar seat in the elections.

60-year-old woman gang-raped in front of her grandson by TMC goons

Earlier, a 60-year-old woman narrated how she was brutally raped in front of her six-year-old grandson. She said that after the results were declared, TMC workers forcefully entered into her house and raped her. The incident happened on the intervening night of May 4 and 5, just two days after the election results were declared. The TMC workers also allegedly robbed her of the valuables.

She further added that despite the victory of the BJP in Khejuri constituency, a mob of about 100-200 TMC workers gathered and threatened to bomb her house. Next day, her daughter in law fled the house fearing for her life. A day later, some TMC workers barged into her house and gangraped her, she said in her application to the SC.

Her neighbours found her unconscious the next day and took her to a hospital. When her son in law approached the police for an FIR, the police refused to do so. She said that the ruling party workers used rape as a weapon of revenge to humiliate and silence political rivals.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia